by Kathleen Gray and Matt Helms, Detroit Free Press

by Kathleen Gray and Matt Helms, Detroit Free Press

DETROIT -- Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said he has a goal for the city of Detroit: at least 50,000 new immigrants living and working in the city over the next five years.

Snyder flew to Washington, D.C., on Thursday to meet with federal immigration officials.

He plans to ask them to set aside thousands of work visas for bankrupt Detroit, a bid to revive the decaying city by attracting talented immigrants who are willing to move there and stay for five years.

The proposal involves EB-2 visas, which are offered every year to legal immigrants who have advanced degrees or show exceptional ability in certain fields.

But before leaving, Snyder was joined by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and members of the City Council, including Detroit's first Latina councilwoman, Raquel Castaneda-Lopez, whose district includes a substantial immigrant and Latino population.

"Today's a day about Detroit's future, about job creation in the city of Detroit," Snyder said. The immigration proposal sends the message that "Detroit is open to the world."

Snyder noted that Michigan-based Dow Chemical, Meijer stores and the home-building manufacturer Masco all were founded by immigrants.

Duggan noted that the city is working to create an office of immigration to support immigrants who move to the city and their entrepreneurial efforts.

The news conference was hosted this morning by the IDEAL Group, a Detroit-based group of eight companies that employ 500 people. It was founded by Frank Venegas Jr., the grandson of Mexican immigrants.

The proposal dovetails with two other immigration plans Snyder offered in his State of the State speech last week: opening an Office for New Americans to attract and help immigrants better adjust to life in Michigan and designating the state as an Employer Based or EB-5 center to expedite visas and permits for immigrants who want to open businesses in the state with investments of at least $500,000 and 10 employees.

"Let's ask the federal government to change regulations to bring in highly skilled immigrants to the state," Snyder told the Detroit Free Press on Wednesday. "We'd like to see 50,000 immigrants over five years coming to live and work in Detroit."